The Massey woman, 47, has a rare genetic condition called Wilson disease, which causes excessive amounts of copper to accumulate and poison the body.

In a recent letter to family and friends, Cassidy wrote, “For many years I have been able to have a normal, active and happy life, even defying the odds by giving birth to Scotty. I had a very healthy lifestyle by getting regular exercise, doing yoga daily, eating very healthy, taking my prescribed medications and being and feeling positive.

“Now I need to ask for help from others in order to stay alive.”

Medications, known as chelation therapy, had allowed Cassidy to live a healthy life but, on Dec. 22, she experienced liver failure.

Cassidy, a wife and mother to a 13-year-old, teaches children’s yoga and works as an educational assistant at Sagamok First Nation’s Biidaaban School, about km west of Sault Ste. Marie.

“Without a functioning liver we cannot stay alive,” said Cassidy, adding medications are helping to take some of the accumulating toxins out of her body but it’s not enough.

“Life for me, Scotty and Les, changed overnight,” said Cassidy, who is currently staying with her parents just outside of Barrie, while awaiting a liver transplant.

Cassidy is very weak and suffers from severe abdominal pain. Her belly swells with fluids causing extreme internal pressure and puts the heart, lungs and kidneys in distress. As a result, her body is not getting enough nutrients and her muscles are deteriorating and causing severe cramping.

She suffers from severe itchiness, her hair is falling out and she is losing weight.

“Without a functioning liver I will continue to deteriorate,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy is on the liver transplant list, but she must be very close to dying before she can be considered high priority and qualify for a liver from a deceased donor.

According to Cassidy, several people die each year in Toronto while waiting for organ transplants.

Her best option is a living donor as doctors have told her it is her best chance for survival and recovery. Unfortunately, her husband Leslie Knibbs is too old and her son is too young.

“My parents would also give me the gift but they are too old to qualify. I have had one family member who wanted very much to be my living donor, but she did not qualify because of a health condition of her own.”

Her husband has begun making daily appeals on Facebook for people to get checked to see if they can donate a piece of their liver.

According to Cassidy, living donors give a small piece of their liver to the recipient. The donor’s liver grows back to normal size in about six weeks. It usually takes about six months for the donated piece of liver to grow to normal size and function.

All medical costs for the donor are covered by OHIP. There are also government programs to reimburse living donors for any wages lost during the process and they are also reimbursed for transportation and accommodation costs.

“I want very, very much to live and be with Scotty and Les again and to live life as Scotty’s mother. I do not want to leave Scotty without a mom. I hope to be able to start mending soon and live life as passionately and actively as I did a short time ago.”

The family is urgently appealing to anyone who may consider donating.

“If you think, you may be interested in helping to save my life or you think you may know someone who is, please pass this message to them,” said Cassidy.

The link to the transplant program is www.uhntransplant.ca. To complete the forms, a donor needs the recipient’s full name and date of birth, which is Elizabeth Mary Cassidy, March 23, 1971.

For anyone wanting to reach out to the family directly, Cassidy can be reached at 705-507-2527.

It is estimated that one in 30,000 people suffer from Wilson disease. Small amounts of copper are necessary for good health and one of the liver’s jobs is to maintain the balance of copper in the body. In Wilson disease, when there is too much copper, it is released in the bloodstream and accumulates in various organs including the liver, brain and cornea of the eye where it can cause damage, and if left untreated, can cause death.